The Teacher's Pet

Chapter Four

Kat Claire:
My hands are trembling, for the first time, I am truly alone with James. No one surrounding us. The only thing keeping us apart is 15 feet.
"Please, sit." James makes it sound like a demand rather than a question.
"I don't think I have any missed assignments, so I would love to have my break now." That's my way of dealing with problems, avoid them unless it's absolutely necessary to face.
"Katherine." Suddenly, my legs are unable to move anywhere but in the direction he wants them to go. Him saying my full name got me going crazy if I wasn't going crazy over him already.
"James." I answer him back as I sit down in my chair.
"Oh sweet girl, you don't know what it does to me when you say my name like that..." There is a quick moment of deep, intense eye contact. "So challenging." James leans half over the desk he's sitting at, of course, he is tightly in a suit, a different suit from Friday.
My teeth are locked on each other and suddenly it's impossible to speak, I am locked in a deep trance, that keeps my eyes focused on him and only him. The wideness of his shoulders, the pulsing vein in his neck, the smug smile on his face. No one looks that good smiling.
"I'm sure you know what we have to talk about. No, it's not any of your assignments, your grades are perfect." My grades are far from perfect but the fact he calls them perfect gives me confidence. The same confidence that made me wear this outfit today.
James's eyes go down to my top for the fourth time while talking. "I like the clothing style, I thought you didn't share your interest in fashion."
"Someone told me if people are staring it's because they're jealous." Even without alcohol, I brought up the confidence to speak to him like this.
The grin on his face tells me that he remembers Friday very well.
"You never called." Deep down there is a trace of sadness and disappointment in his voice, very deep down. Only if you met him before you would be able to tell.
"I...
"I'm really sorry, I got busy with studying, we went to my grandparent's this weekend, and I've been seeing my friends a lot. Trust me I wanted to call you, I've been thinking about your words a lot, and every minute of the day I was holding the piece of paper, deciding if I wanted to call. But what if I called too soon? Then I would seem desperate, which I'm not. That doesn't mean I'm not interested in you though..." Before I start rambling more I stuff my hands in front of my mind in total shame and horror. He just grins again, as if he enjoys my embarrassment.
"Don't hold your breath darling." If this man speaks another word in this voice if he calls me another nickname I might scream and pass out. I suck in 3 simple deep breaths of air, hoping he doesn't see the way he makes me nervous. Hell, he is probably the first one to notice. My nervousness must be feeding his ego. I roll my eyes in a dramatic way.
"We have 5 minutes, there is no time for small talk or annoyed looks. This," James points his finger from me to himself. "is never going to work out. I am a teacher, you are a student. First off, I am far too old for you, second, it's illegal."
Then why torture me so badly with the nicknames and the challenging tone? I want to ask him, but I already know the answer, it's because I've been challenging him just as badly. He is just playing the game with me.
"How old are you?" I've guessed him to be in his late twenties but now that I think about it he could be mid-thirties too. It all depends on the lighting and the expression on his face. Now he looks angry, making him appear 5 years older, due to the wrinkles.
"Thirty." My eyes widen, he is clearly 7 years older than me.
How was I so stupid to fall in love with a guy 7 years older than me? He is having kids any moment, and I'm supposed to be a college student, partying and enjoying her life.
I hit myself against my forehead, never hard enough. "I just turned 23 a few weeks ago." The 11th of January to be exact.
The first student from the class walks in, she's dressed fully in white, almost looking like she is a doctor already. Her long legs make her look a lot more intimidating. Before getting to her seat again.
"Well miss Claire, I trust you bring the missing assignments to me by next week Monday."
"Certainly sir." I play along.
It doesn't take long before the whole class is filled again. No one is late, unlike me, except for this time.
"Good class, before the break I have explained the risks and pros of eye surgery. Now I am going to give you guys a paper with a couple of questions on them, to see if you all listened well enough."
As a person, I am completely and utterly in love with James. As a student, I hate him. Of course, I didn't pay attention. And looking at the faces of the girls in the class I am not the only one. It is quite hard to focus with a face like that.
As the paper is in front of me I stare at all of the questions without even reading them. They have become one big blur to me. At the top of the page I give my name 'Kat Claire.' Next to it, I have to write my teacher's name. So I do, 'James Levine.' I draw some hearts to make sure he knows it's from me even though my name is on it very clearly.

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At the end of the hallway, my friends are waiting for me as usual, to talk about today, if anything interesting happened. Sometimes we like to catch up over a coffee if a lot happened, that might be the case today. Because it has been a hell of a day.
"Coffee time?" Mary asks, as soon as she spots the horrified look on my face. I don't even have to say a single word, she drags me outside through the large school doors and my other two friends follow, like a lost puppy following their mom.
The coffee shop is right next to the school. The business is going very well since they're located next to a school. Every students come here to get their coffee before school starts. It's exactly half a dollar cheaper here than in school.
Smart business.
After ordering a coffee for all of us we slide into one of the booths.
All 3 pairs of eyes are pinned on me, waiting to tell them what happened today. I can't even process what happened, I'm definitely not sure if I'm ready to talk about it.
"So? What happened? Your face looks like you saw a ghost."
"Or maybe you saw a puppy get run over by a car." Cassidy tells me. Instantly tears pop up in my eyes. I am 100% a dog person, and I think in visions. In front of my eyes, I see a blonde Labrador pup get run over by a heavy car.
"Do you remember James from Friday?"
"Duh, how can we forget such a hottie? Have you called your new boyfriend yet." I sigh deeply as they won't stop speaking, I need at least a little bit of time to take a deep breath and explain myself.
"Studying took over most of my weekend plans, so I didn't get to call him. But I did see him, today."
"You skipped school?" Cassidy interrupts me again.
"God, just shut up." I rest my head on my hands, which are laying flat on the table. The constant interrupting together with the bright lighting of this coffee shop is giving me the biggest headache, hell maybe even a migraine.
No one says anything until I begin to speak again.
"James... Is my new teacher." I say, facing away from all my 3 friends. "He gives basically all of my subjects, I have to see him every day of the week, Monday to Friday."
For once all of my friends are speechless, for Hazel, it's nothing new. But Cassidy and Mary have no words for such a situation.
After a minute of silence, to my surprise, Hazel is the one who speaks up first. "Y-your teacher?"
"Oh shit." Both Mary and Cassidy say in sync. "That is so fucked up, what will you do now?" The question I was afraid of, because I don't have an answer. What am I supposed to do? Date my teacher?
"He made it very clear what he wanted Cass, 'This is never going to work out. I am a teacher, you are a student. First off, I am far too old for you, second, it's illegal.' is exactly what he said. But I still feel like... This." I wave a hand over my body to show the mess that I currently live in. The red shirt I didn't even want to wear, but I did because he believed in me.
"How am I so worked up over a guy I met Friday? He is not that special?" I tell my friends, who know that it is a huge lie. This guy is special, I don't fall in love often, but when I do. I fall deep and hard.
Hazel's arms fold around me, resting around my waist.
"Thanks, Haze, I love you guys so much, I don't need a stupid guy." I squeeze her a bit harder to show the appreciation I feel.
"Maybe you won't agree with me on this, but I will still try my hardest to get him to fall for me. Maybe when mister Harborn is back, and he is no longer my teacher." Hazel sighs deeply, which I can feel against my body.
"I don't really think that is a go..."
"If I don't, he will date someone else, or another girl in my class will seduce him and get him before I even touch him. This guy is magic, I am telling you." I want to tell them all about every single feeling he gave me by just looking in my eyes. James gave me a look into the darkest woods, the only woods where I would feel safe.
"Life isn't only about love Kat, you have us, enjoy your life with us rather then a random guy named James. I know he is special but you'll meet a guy just as special as James, and that's the one. Your teacher isn't the one for you." Not having my friends support burns me up from the inside, I feel like I need to have their support and enthusiasm to continue down this road of heartbreak.
"You guys are bad friends, you are supposed to support me!"
"Kat..." Mary starts. "Would you support me if I fell in love with mister Christenson?" I want to scream of course not, not just because he is 30 plus years older than her, but also because dating a teacher isn't normal. Then the realization hits.
But the addiction haunts me, the need to taste him, to feel him.
I crave him.